Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop arrives to attend the 10th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) on October 16, 2014 in Milan. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was created in 1996 as a forum for dialogue and cooperation between Europe and Asia held every two years alternatively in Asia and Europe. EPA - MATTEO BAZZI

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop meets President Putin

RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin has responded cooperatively to Australia's request for investigators to be given further access to the Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash site in eastern Ukraine, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop says.

Ms Bishop has held a 25-minute "detailed discussion" with the Russian leader on the sidelines of a summit of European and Asian leaders in Italy.

The Foreign Minister said she received assurances from Mr Putin that he would help facilitate access to the crash site for international investigators but could not confirm a timeframe in which the Russian president would act.

"I had a very detailed discussion with him. I expressed our concerns about the Malaysia Airlines crash," Ms Bishop said.

"He said that he would seek to respond to my request by asking the separatists to provide that access.